The Southerly Journey
We were finally ready to take the leap across the English Channel to Guernesy. We waited for the winds to be just right and calculated the tides and currents. Our calculations meant that we had to leave Chichester Harbour around 2 am. We set the alarm for 1 am, made a thermos of tea, put on our woollies, foul weather gear and life jackets. At 1:45 we finally cut our umbilical cord heading south with a beautiful full moon to guide our way through the anchored boats. It was our first night sail.
The winds were pleasant, the sails raised and we were doing a respectable 8 knots. We were anxious but everything was under control. With the autopilot engaged we relaxed a bit with a cup of tea anticipating the sunrise. It was right about then that my stomach started feeling queasy; trying to ignore the symptoms I had to go below to use the loo.
I don't remember much after that ; it's really all just a blur of endless retching and the shakes so bad I thought this is what heroine withdrawal must be like.
Wolfgang:" So it was up to me to steer the boat, even though I didn't feel that good either. But "Uncle Otto", our autopilot did a very good job. Maybe when we have more feeling for it, we might reduce the sensitivity of it, thus reducing the amount of course corrections and therefore reducing the amount of power draw. It was a beautiful sunrise, we just couldn't enjoy it as we might have without the "Mal de Mer".
Yes,Wolfgang was sick too for a little while , but after a few hours he seemed to have acquired his "sea legs".
Simple Abundance sailed easily through the inconsistent, lumpy, choppy waves, but staying on course is a constant battle due to the strong current.
Being very close to the north coast of France you must keep constant vigil for other boats. Suddenly, out of the blue, ha ha, came this big, grey freighter- like boat. At the same moment we hear the name of our boat on the radio calling us. This is a VHF radio that mariners use to communicate with each other. At first we thought it was the coast guard, but they identified themselves as a customs vessel and asked us numerous questions as all customs officials are in the habit of doing.
Between drinking water to stay hydrated and going down below to the loo was a fine balance. Going to the loo of course is not just a matter of pulling down your pants. First the life jacket comes off, then the foul weather jacket and pants, then the woollies; all of course ripped off and just left inside out on the cabin floor because I put off the inevitable. After everything has been reassembled I go back on deck only to hear Wolfgang say, "only 3 more hours honey".
At this point jumping overboard looks like a brilliant idea.
You might think that arriving in St Peter Port would be a relief because by this time we had been awake 40 hours, and sailing 15 hours; however, the harbour and marina were so crowded that exhaustion and confusion about where to go lead to a very stressful docking.
We have been in Guernsey now for a week recovering, doing a little sightseeing, relaxing, and planning our next trip. Weather permitting, on Tuesday we will travel to Jersey. Only a three hour trip, but I'll take some anti nausea meds, eat a few ginger cookies and stand at the helm looking out at the horizon.
